About Us
Parent Information Booklet
You can download the Parent Information Booklet from the bottom panel on the left or here.
This booklet contains all the information from this website.
Meet The Staff
Qualifications & Experience
Susan Barrett
Higher Diploma In Arts in Montessori Education
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
Montessori Teaching Diploma (London Montessori Centre)
NNEB Diploma In Nursery Nursing
Paediatric First Aid
Child Protection Awareness
Anti-Racism Training in Early Years
Circle Time Training
RSA CLAIT Stage 1
Rachel Gawley
NVQ Level 3 Childcare & Education
Order of Malta First Aid Certificate
Child Protection Awareness
Food Hygiene Options Certificate
RSA Initial Text Processing
Key Skills Unit Award: Communications Level 3
Circle Time Training
Sandra Cooney
NVQ Level 3 Childcare & Education
NVQ Level 2 Childcare & Education
Sports for all Leadership
Basic First Aid
Child Protection
Staff to Children Ratio
Our staff to children ratio of 1:8 means that each adult has a maximum of 8 children in their care, ensuring that your child gets the individual care and attention they need to make this a happy and lasting first experience.
Training
Training is ongoing and skills are regularly updated through our Nippa Early Years Advisor.
The playgroup staff are fully trained to above national requirements (NVQ 3) and have an exceptional understanding and dedication to their profession.
Ongoing training in the latest developments in early years is provided by NIPPA and it comes as no surprise that in a recent review of UK pre school provision, the Northern Ireland Community Playgroups lead the field in delivering a quality child-centred early years service.
“Early years educators are the people who help children
to build the bridges of understanding between their individual experiences
and the more formal understanding about the world upon which later
education rests”
- The Excellence of Play, Moyles, Janet R.,(1996), Open University
Press.
Organisational Structure
Management Committee
Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Committee Members
Playgroup Leader
Susan Barrett
Deputy Playgroup Leader
Rachael Gawley
Playgroup Assistant
Sandra Cooney
Decision Making
The Management Committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting – there must be a minimum of 5 on the committee and at least two of them must be parents.
Becoming part of the committee can be a rewarding experience, not only does is give you the opportunity to contribute directly to the playgroup but to the whole community. Projects involving local people in the planning and implementation are more likely to be successful as our 30 year record can vouch for.
Amongst other things the committee is responsible for reviewing both policy and practice, for the employment and appraisal of staff and planning for the future.
Partnership with Parents
We recognise parents as the first and most important educators of their children. We endeavour to work in partnership with parents and welcome parents into our group.
Parents are welcome to:
- Participate fully in the settling in procedure.
- Become members of the management Committee
- Help as fundraisers
- Take up training
- Share in observations and record keeping of their child’s development
- Take part in our Parents Play In Evening. This gives parents the opportunity to explore activities within the group and become familiar with the six areas of learning through play.
- Help during playgroup outings
- Put forward suggestions.
- Share special talents with the children (e.g. joiner, musician, chef, nurse, etc.) by coming into the group and taking part in a special activity. This is a great opportunity for all children.
- Help by bringing in useful resources that staff will request through the newsletter.
We welcome parent’s opinions and views as regards to any aspect of their child’s progress. Children will show a higher level of achievement if parents are involved within the playgroup setting.
External Support
The day to day running of the playgroup is the responsibility of the Management Committee, however there are many organisations that support the playgroup in different ways. The chart and diagram below will hopefully clarify the roles that these organisations play in the running of the playgroup.
| NIPPA | Provides nationwide support through training, provision of an Early Years Specialist for each area, supports the committee through policy documents, management committee training and management guide book. Lobbies politicians on behalf of all playgroups for improvements. |
| W.E.L.B. | Provides funding through the Pre School Expansion Admissions Grant Scheme (PEAGS) for children in their immediate pre school year. |
| Sperrin Lakeland Trust | Registration Board. Carries out inspections to ensure quality and safety, provides support and expertise through social workers. |
| Education Training Inspectorate | Sets the curriculum and carries out inspections on pre school providers on behalf of the Department of Education to ensure quality and delivery of curriculum |
| Fermanagh Trust NICVA Western Area Childcare Partnership |
Has provided developmental support to many playgroups, help with finding grants, committee training and general support of voluntary community group activities. |
Environmental Awareness
We support the environment through reducing, reusing and recycling. We also make use of the Eco code, organic food and are actively looking into the use of fair trade products.
History
The Little Castle Playgroup, formerly known as the Lisnaskea Cross Community Playgroup, was first set up in 1976. All over Northern Ireland, groups of concerned mothers were, in the midst of the conflict, deciding that they wanted their children to come together to play and get to know each other. They had a vision of peace that would come from bringing children together to enjoy each others company.
Lisnaskea was one of the first of these new cross community playgroups to be established in Fermanagh.
We are proud to say that the values of the founding members are instilled in out ethos today.
Over the last 30 years, the playgroup movement has seen many changes, and the importance of high quality early years education has come to be widely recognised.
Our early values of cross community relations, high quality affordable childcare and social inclusion have been kept and added to as we have evolved and now include environmental awareness, fair-trade and an adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991).
We still maintain that vision of a peaceful and shared future for our children through cross community pre school care and education.